Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops (Ohga Shrugs)

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Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops is an anime based on the Metal Gear franchise by Konami. It ran from 2005 to 2008, between the releases of Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4.

Plot

Special Ops was notable for its using a mixture of art styles, including the monochrome one shown above.

Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops is set a few years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3, starting in an alternate 1970. The show follows the story of Big Boss, aka Naked Snake, as he slowly goes down the path from being an agent of the American government to becoming the leader of Outer Heaven.

Over the next four or so years, Big Boss would play part in a number of missions around the world, meeting and fighting characters that either were already a part of the Metal Gear mythos, would become so in future games, or were unique to the animated series.

Production

Unlike with many television shows based off of existing properties, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima played a significant role in the production of Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops. He is stated to have wanted "a true part of the Metal Gear story told cinematically rather than through a game."

As a result of Kojima's involvement, a variety of elements from the games were used. The show would typically use traditional Japanese animation, but would ocassionally use other art styles and even CGI at points. The team behind the Metal Gear Solid game series was responsible for creating the CGI.

Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops had a total of three seasons, each with seventeen episodes.

Reception

Metal Gear Solid: Special Ops is widely regarded as the greatest television show based on a video game ever made. Although not widely reviewed, it has a fairly impressive score of 7.5/10 on the International Movie Database. Furthermore, both the series finale was the most watched animated episode of a show on television that day in the United States, despite strong competition from Family Guy.

Both DVD and Blue Ray releases of the show have been made available worldwide. Konami has stated interest in future Metal Gear animated shows as a result of the success of Special Ops.